Latest news with #Xenophon
The Citizen
31-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Strike with Striker: Master jockey aims to go out with a bang at the Vaal
The veteran jockey will call it a day on Thursday. Piere 'Striker' Strydom has his last rides before retirement at the Vaal racecourse on Thursday. The great jockey will be keen to leave on a winning note – and a multitude of punters will be willing him on by backing the four horses he'll partner. His rides for the day are: Race 3: Xenophon Race 5: Nkwenkwezi Race 8: After Hours Race 9: Summer Winter All four runners have winning chances, though none is the proverbial penalty kick. The multiplier bet known variously as All To Come, Multi or Accumulator will be a popular choice among Strydom fans – with all four to win or, perhaps, a couple of them to place. A Betway Multi with Xenophon to win at 2.20, Nkwenkwezi and After Hours to place at 1.45 each, and Summer Winter to win at 2.70 would yield 10.65. All four to win would deliver 104.30 for the R1 wager unit. Three-year-old filly Xenophon is most tipsters' fancy and warrants a straight Win bet at 2.30. But it's worth noting that young rival Power Of Pearls (2.90) has been backed ante-post – despite returning from a six-month break, which followed a promising debut. Nkwenkwezi (4.20) is well overdue a maiden win but bumps likely favourite Babette's Feast (2.70). Exactas, Trifectas and Quartets with these two would be the wise way to go. A similar strategy could apply in the case of Strydom's penultimate ride. Veteran After Hours (4.00) always puts his best hoof forward but bumps up against juvenile stablemate Palace Prince (2.70), who is also in good form. The lucky last for the six-time champion jockey is one-time winner Summer Winter (2.70). The promising filly gives weight to all of The Navy Lark, Global Thunder, Predatrice and Deal Maker. Nonetheless, there'll be many sentimental Win bets riding on her.
The Citizen
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Farewell to Striker — Piere Strydom's historic day on the banks of the Vaal
The veteran jockey will call it a day at his favourite racecourse in South Africa — the Vaal. A bog-standard Thursday fixture at the Vaal might seem an unlikely setting for six-time champion jockey Piere 'Striker' Strydom to bid farewell to the game he has graced for four decades. However, the modest venue on the banks of the river is his favourite racecourse in South Africa and – for all his many big-race glories – it is workaday, bread-and-butter fare that has filled his bag of more than 5,600 career wins. One of the cardinal rules of effective gambling is to keep emotion strictly out of the equation. That'll be impossible in this situation. Only the perverse and mean-spirited won't be hoping the great man signs off with a winner, or two, three… He has four rides on the day, for trainers with whom he has had long associations, and all four horses have winning chances. None, though, look home and hosed. Races Strydom gets his historic day started in Race 3, a Maiden Plate named 'Striker & JJ The Jet Plane Take on Hong Kong in 2010' in honour of what everyone – including himself – regards as his greatest performance: victory at Sha Tin in the prestigious Hong Kong Sprint aboard Lucky Houdalakis's incredible speedster. Xenophon, a three-year-old filly trained by Striker's old friend Sean Tarry, isn't in the league of 'JJ', but she is a progressive sort likely to start as favourite. On Xenophon, he'll wear the famous Beck family silks of brown and white, which he carried to victory many times – including on Free My Heart in the Queen's Plate. Clinton Binda will probably not bother giving riding instructions before Race 5, in which the old master partners Nkwenkwezi. This filly is a plucky trier, having delivered six runner-up prizes and two thirds in her 11-race career thus far. Some punters are put off by a 'seconditis' record, but others will surely pile on at odds of around 3-1. The main danger comes from Babette's Feast (5-2), who looks suspiciously like a De Kock yard juvenile 'bomb'. Strydom can then have a nice cup of tea – and maybe even some cake (so long forbidden) – before going out for his penultimate assignment. After Hours, saddled by St John Gray for Race 8, is a seven-year-old veteran having his 95th run, so horse-rider understanding could be in play. The gelding (7-2) is as game as they come but – like his rider – is no longer in his pomp. A two-year-old stablemate, Palace Prince (5-2), could be too sprightly for the old toppies. Race 9 is the curtain call and there'll be a standing ovation no matter where the horse finishes. Young Adam Azzie gets the privilege of hoisting up Striker for the last time – onto one-time winner Summer Winter. There'll be sentiment aplenty, but when it comes to the crunch there'll be no standing back for a Striker victory parade. So, which rival might spoil the show? Imported filly Deal Maker would seem to be the most likely party pooper.
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Lock And Key could be Luke Ferraris
Also on the menu is racing at Happy Valley and, with the Hong Kong season drawing to a close, opportunities for a dabble are diminishing. Local horse racing returns on Wednesday after a two-day breather with a testing card at Scottsville. All the exotic bets legs are challenging and players might need to go wide to stay in contention, so finding a banker would help. Computaform goes with Xenophon (R2.70 a Win with Betway) as the Pick 6 banker in Race 3, Leg 1. However, juvenile Next Of Kin (R2.30) poses an clear and present danger after an eye-catching runner-up debut run over course and distance three weeks ago and simply cannot be discarded from the permutation. Still, those two might be the budget way to go in that leg. Race 7, Leg 5 of the Pick 6, looks fairly competitive at first glance, but closer scrutiny suggests that the three-year-old filly Lock And Key (R2.30) is very well weighted against her male opposition and has form shouting she is hitting her straps. Also on the menu for the day is racing at Happy Valley and, with the Hong Kong season drawing to a close, opportunities for a dabble in the racing-mad city are diminishing. South African jockey Luke Ferraris has had a fabulous season in Hong Kong and will finish in the upper reaches of the championship. He'll be keen to make his number as shiny as possible in the next 10 days and has a couple of promising chances on Wednesday. The ride that stands out is for compatriot Douglas Whyte aboard Harmony Fire (R5.50 a Win) in Race 4. Ferraris's other big chance comes in Race 6 with the appropriately named Youthful Spirits (R4.33).
The Advertiser
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Avoid bad breath, don't pick partners when drunk: ancient dating tips to find modern love
To love and be loved is something most people want in their lives. In the modern world, we often see stories about the difficulties of finding love and the trials of dating and marriage. Sometimes, the person we love doesn't love us. Sometimes, we don't love the person who loves us. Ancient Greeks and Romans also had a lot to say about this subject. In fact, most of the issues people face today in their search for love are already mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman literature. So, what did they say? And is the advice they put forward still relevant for modern people? The Roman poet Ovid (43BCE-17CE) wrote a poem called The Art of Love (Ars Amatoria). In it, he offered advice for those who are still single. First, Ovid says, you should make an effort to find someone you're interested in. Your lover "will not come floating down to you through the tenuous air, she must be sought". As suitable places to find a lover, Ovid recommends walking in porticos and gardens, attending the theatre, or (surprisingly enough) lingering near law courts. You need to catch someone's eye and then invent an excuse to talk with them, he says. Seek your lover in the daytime, says Ovid. Be careful of the night. You won't choose the right person if you're drunk. And you can't see their face properly if it's too dark - they might be uglier than you think. Second, Ovid says you need to look presentable. Make sure your clothes are clean and you have a good haircut. Moreover, keep yourself groomed properly at all times: Ovid's The Art of Love may be regarded as a kind of love manual. But aside from making personal efforts to find a lover, people could also use matchmakers. However, matchmaking was a difficult process. Sometimes matchmakers didn't tell the truth about the situations of the parties involved. So the Athenian writer Xenophon (430-353 BCE) says people were sometimes "victims of deception" in the matchmaking process. The ancients recognised that not being in love can be a problem. They thought it bad for your mental and physical health, but also for society more broadly. For example, the Roman writer Claudius Aelian (2nd-3rd century CE) in his Historical Miscellany says soldiers who are in love will fight better than soldiers who are not in love: According to Aelian, the Spartans had a punishment for men who did not fall in love: So, when two people are in love, they can inspire each other and bring out the best in one another. Being in love can help a person become better and achieve more. If we are lucky, the person we love will also love us back, and we won't have any love rivals. But what happens when the person we love is also loved by someone else? We may need to put in more effort to win the affection of that person, but sometimes this brings us into conflicts. For example, the Roman orator and politician Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE), in his On the Orator, tells how Gaius Memmius, Roman tribune of the year 111 BCE, apparently took a bite out of his love rival's arm, "when he had a quarrel with him at Tarracina over a girlfriend". Some ways to keep one's lover interested that are mentioned in ancient sources include showing off one's wealth. For example, in one of the plays of the poet Alexis (375-275 BCE) a young man who is in love puts on a large banquet to impress his girlfriend with a display of wealth. Engagements were at that time sometimes cancelled if it turned out the husband was too poor. Of course, things did not always work out, and people had grievances against former lovers. One particularly famous invective was from the poet Martial (38-104 CE) to a woman called Manneia: Today, we often see debates about whether it's better to stay single or get into a relationship. The same goes for antiquity. In the 4th-century BCE play Arrephoros or The Pipe Girl by poet Menander, one character says: Others lamented that they missed their opportunity for love. So the poet Pindar (6th-5th century BCE) wrote a poem regretting that he could not make the much younger Theoxenus his boyfriend: Clearly, finding a lover was as difficult then as it is now. To love and be loved is something most people want in their lives. In the modern world, we often see stories about the difficulties of finding love and the trials of dating and marriage. Sometimes, the person we love doesn't love us. Sometimes, we don't love the person who loves us. Ancient Greeks and Romans also had a lot to say about this subject. In fact, most of the issues people face today in their search for love are already mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman literature. So, what did they say? And is the advice they put forward still relevant for modern people? The Roman poet Ovid (43BCE-17CE) wrote a poem called The Art of Love (Ars Amatoria). In it, he offered advice for those who are still single. First, Ovid says, you should make an effort to find someone you're interested in. Your lover "will not come floating down to you through the tenuous air, she must be sought". As suitable places to find a lover, Ovid recommends walking in porticos and gardens, attending the theatre, or (surprisingly enough) lingering near law courts. You need to catch someone's eye and then invent an excuse to talk with them, he says. Seek your lover in the daytime, says Ovid. Be careful of the night. You won't choose the right person if you're drunk. And you can't see their face properly if it's too dark - they might be uglier than you think. Second, Ovid says you need to look presentable. Make sure your clothes are clean and you have a good haircut. Moreover, keep yourself groomed properly at all times: Ovid's The Art of Love may be regarded as a kind of love manual. But aside from making personal efforts to find a lover, people could also use matchmakers. However, matchmaking was a difficult process. Sometimes matchmakers didn't tell the truth about the situations of the parties involved. So the Athenian writer Xenophon (430-353 BCE) says people were sometimes "victims of deception" in the matchmaking process. The ancients recognised that not being in love can be a problem. They thought it bad for your mental and physical health, but also for society more broadly. For example, the Roman writer Claudius Aelian (2nd-3rd century CE) in his Historical Miscellany says soldiers who are in love will fight better than soldiers who are not in love: According to Aelian, the Spartans had a punishment for men who did not fall in love: So, when two people are in love, they can inspire each other and bring out the best in one another. Being in love can help a person become better and achieve more. If we are lucky, the person we love will also love us back, and we won't have any love rivals. But what happens when the person we love is also loved by someone else? We may need to put in more effort to win the affection of that person, but sometimes this brings us into conflicts. For example, the Roman orator and politician Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE), in his On the Orator, tells how Gaius Memmius, Roman tribune of the year 111 BCE, apparently took a bite out of his love rival's arm, "when he had a quarrel with him at Tarracina over a girlfriend". Some ways to keep one's lover interested that are mentioned in ancient sources include showing off one's wealth. For example, in one of the plays of the poet Alexis (375-275 BCE) a young man who is in love puts on a large banquet to impress his girlfriend with a display of wealth. Engagements were at that time sometimes cancelled if it turned out the husband was too poor. Of course, things did not always work out, and people had grievances against former lovers. One particularly famous invective was from the poet Martial (38-104 CE) to a woman called Manneia: Today, we often see debates about whether it's better to stay single or get into a relationship. The same goes for antiquity. In the 4th-century BCE play Arrephoros or The Pipe Girl by poet Menander, one character says: Others lamented that they missed their opportunity for love. So the poet Pindar (6th-5th century BCE) wrote a poem regretting that he could not make the much younger Theoxenus his boyfriend: Clearly, finding a lover was as difficult then as it is now. To love and be loved is something most people want in their lives. In the modern world, we often see stories about the difficulties of finding love and the trials of dating and marriage. Sometimes, the person we love doesn't love us. Sometimes, we don't love the person who loves us. Ancient Greeks and Romans also had a lot to say about this subject. In fact, most of the issues people face today in their search for love are already mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman literature. So, what did they say? And is the advice they put forward still relevant for modern people? The Roman poet Ovid (43BCE-17CE) wrote a poem called The Art of Love (Ars Amatoria). In it, he offered advice for those who are still single. First, Ovid says, you should make an effort to find someone you're interested in. Your lover "will not come floating down to you through the tenuous air, she must be sought". As suitable places to find a lover, Ovid recommends walking in porticos and gardens, attending the theatre, or (surprisingly enough) lingering near law courts. You need to catch someone's eye and then invent an excuse to talk with them, he says. Seek your lover in the daytime, says Ovid. Be careful of the night. You won't choose the right person if you're drunk. And you can't see their face properly if it's too dark - they might be uglier than you think. Second, Ovid says you need to look presentable. Make sure your clothes are clean and you have a good haircut. Moreover, keep yourself groomed properly at all times: Ovid's The Art of Love may be regarded as a kind of love manual. But aside from making personal efforts to find a lover, people could also use matchmakers. However, matchmaking was a difficult process. Sometimes matchmakers didn't tell the truth about the situations of the parties involved. So the Athenian writer Xenophon (430-353 BCE) says people were sometimes "victims of deception" in the matchmaking process. The ancients recognised that not being in love can be a problem. They thought it bad for your mental and physical health, but also for society more broadly. For example, the Roman writer Claudius Aelian (2nd-3rd century CE) in his Historical Miscellany says soldiers who are in love will fight better than soldiers who are not in love: According to Aelian, the Spartans had a punishment for men who did not fall in love: So, when two people are in love, they can inspire each other and bring out the best in one another. Being in love can help a person become better and achieve more. If we are lucky, the person we love will also love us back, and we won't have any love rivals. But what happens when the person we love is also loved by someone else? We may need to put in more effort to win the affection of that person, but sometimes this brings us into conflicts. For example, the Roman orator and politician Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE), in his On the Orator, tells how Gaius Memmius, Roman tribune of the year 111 BCE, apparently took a bite out of his love rival's arm, "when he had a quarrel with him at Tarracina over a girlfriend". Some ways to keep one's lover interested that are mentioned in ancient sources include showing off one's wealth. For example, in one of the plays of the poet Alexis (375-275 BCE) a young man who is in love puts on a large banquet to impress his girlfriend with a display of wealth. Engagements were at that time sometimes cancelled if it turned out the husband was too poor. Of course, things did not always work out, and people had grievances against former lovers. One particularly famous invective was from the poet Martial (38-104 CE) to a woman called Manneia: Today, we often see debates about whether it's better to stay single or get into a relationship. The same goes for antiquity. In the 4th-century BCE play Arrephoros or The Pipe Girl by poet Menander, one character says: Others lamented that they missed their opportunity for love. So the poet Pindar (6th-5th century BCE) wrote a poem regretting that he could not make the much younger Theoxenus his boyfriend: Clearly, finding a lover was as difficult then as it is now. To love and be loved is something most people want in their lives. In the modern world, we often see stories about the difficulties of finding love and the trials of dating and marriage. Sometimes, the person we love doesn't love us. Sometimes, we don't love the person who loves us. Ancient Greeks and Romans also had a lot to say about this subject. In fact, most of the issues people face today in their search for love are already mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman literature. So, what did they say? And is the advice they put forward still relevant for modern people? The Roman poet Ovid (43BCE-17CE) wrote a poem called The Art of Love (Ars Amatoria). In it, he offered advice for those who are still single. First, Ovid says, you should make an effort to find someone you're interested in. Your lover "will not come floating down to you through the tenuous air, she must be sought". As suitable places to find a lover, Ovid recommends walking in porticos and gardens, attending the theatre, or (surprisingly enough) lingering near law courts. You need to catch someone's eye and then invent an excuse to talk with them, he says. Seek your lover in the daytime, says Ovid. Be careful of the night. You won't choose the right person if you're drunk. And you can't see their face properly if it's too dark - they might be uglier than you think. Second, Ovid says you need to look presentable. Make sure your clothes are clean and you have a good haircut. Moreover, keep yourself groomed properly at all times: Ovid's The Art of Love may be regarded as a kind of love manual. But aside from making personal efforts to find a lover, people could also use matchmakers. However, matchmaking was a difficult process. Sometimes matchmakers didn't tell the truth about the situations of the parties involved. So the Athenian writer Xenophon (430-353 BCE) says people were sometimes "victims of deception" in the matchmaking process. The ancients recognised that not being in love can be a problem. They thought it bad for your mental and physical health, but also for society more broadly. For example, the Roman writer Claudius Aelian (2nd-3rd century CE) in his Historical Miscellany says soldiers who are in love will fight better than soldiers who are not in love: According to Aelian, the Spartans had a punishment for men who did not fall in love: So, when two people are in love, they can inspire each other and bring out the best in one another. Being in love can help a person become better and achieve more. If we are lucky, the person we love will also love us back, and we won't have any love rivals. But what happens when the person we love is also loved by someone else? We may need to put in more effort to win the affection of that person, but sometimes this brings us into conflicts. For example, the Roman orator and politician Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE), in his On the Orator, tells how Gaius Memmius, Roman tribune of the year 111 BCE, apparently took a bite out of his love rival's arm, "when he had a quarrel with him at Tarracina over a girlfriend". Some ways to keep one's lover interested that are mentioned in ancient sources include showing off one's wealth. For example, in one of the plays of the poet Alexis (375-275 BCE) a young man who is in love puts on a large banquet to impress his girlfriend with a display of wealth. Engagements were at that time sometimes cancelled if it turned out the husband was too poor. Of course, things did not always work out, and people had grievances against former lovers. One particularly famous invective was from the poet Martial (38-104 CE) to a woman called Manneia: Today, we often see debates about whether it's better to stay single or get into a relationship. The same goes for antiquity. In the 4th-century BCE play Arrephoros or The Pipe Girl by poet Menander, one character says: Others lamented that they missed their opportunity for love. So the poet Pindar (6th-5th century BCE) wrote a poem regretting that he could not make the much younger Theoxenus his boyfriend: Clearly, finding a lover was as difficult then as it is now.
CTV News
13-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Earthquakes damage centuries-old monasteries in a secluded religious community in Greece
Simonopetra, or the Simonos Petra Monastery, home of the all-male autonomous community Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain, stands on the peninsula of Mount Athos in northern Greece, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) THESSALONIKI, Greece — Centuries-old monasteries have been damaged by an ongoing series of earthquakes in a secluded monastic community in northern Greece, authorities said Friday. A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck the Mount Athos peninsula on June 7, followed by a series of both undersea and land-based tremors that continued through Friday. The quakes caused 'severe cracks' in the dome of the Monastery of Xenophon, which was built in the late 10th century, and damaged religious frescoes at that site and several others, the Culture Ministry said. Simonopetra Monks carry baskets of supplies to the Simonopetra, or Simonos Petra Monastery, home of the all-male autonomous community of Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain, on the peninsula of Mount Athos in northern Greece, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, file) Mount Athos is one of the most important religious sites for Orthodox Christians, and is often referred to as the Holy Mountain. It is a semi-autonomous monastic republic and is home to 20 Orthodox monasteries. The self-governing community still observes strict traditions under Greek sovereignty, including a ban on all women entering the territory. 'We are fully aware of the immense archaeological, historical, and spiritual significance of Mount Athos, and we are ensuring that all damage is addressed according to scientific and ethical standards,' Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said. Simonopetra Father Serafeim prays in the ossuary of Simonopetra, or the Simonos Petra Monastery, home of the all-male autonomous community Agion Oros, or Holy Mountain, on the peninsula of Mount Athos in northern Greece, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) The restoration work — including structural reinforcement and the repair of artwork — will be expanded and accelerated, Mendoni added. A more detailed assessment of the damage is expected next week, the Culture Ministry said. The Associated Press
